Parks Associates: More than 20% of U.S. broadband households have used websites or apps to communicate with a medical professional in the past 12 months

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - Apr 13, 2017) - IoT research firm Parks Associates announced new connected health research today showing that more than 20% of U.S. broadband households have used websites or apps to communicate with a medical professional in the past 12 months. Industry-leading executives will join Parks Associates at the 21st-annual CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference, May 23-25 in San Francisco, to discuss how digital health technologies allow for personalized experiences for consumers through on-demand services.

"On-demand care models have strong potential to grow because consumers express a strong interest in real-time interactions with doctors remotely or virtually," said Harry Wang, Senior Director of Research, Parks Associates. "To scale these models from acute but non-emergent care episodes to broader patient-care provider engagement use cases, providers and their technology partners must improve customer experiences, including managing consumer expectations about wait time, service quality, and length of engagement."

This year's CONNECTIONS™ Conference will examine ways that smartphones, smart watches, and other wearables can be integrated into connected health solutions such as on-demand care. The conference, which features more than 700 industry-leading executives in attendance, will address the connected health market and new innovations that are creating new and unique value propositions.

"Integrating Connected Health and Wearables into the Smart Home," at 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, moderated by Harry Wang, features connected health executives and industry leaders examining the opportunity for connected health to become a part of the smart home and how to bridge different industries seeking efficiencies while retaining their unique value propositions. Speakers for the session include:

Jean Anne Booth, CEO, UnaliWear

Jeroen Brouwer, Marketing, Sales and Business Development Director, Philips

Avner Halperin, CEO, EarlySense

Lainie Muller, Director, Wellness, Alarm.com

"From my work in UnaliWear, this offering spans two traditional but previously unmet market goals -- offer a voice-activated safety wearable and do it in a stylish form factor that does not stigmatize the wearer as 'old,'" said Jean Anne Booth, CEO of UnaliWear.

"Today's health landscape is drastically different than it was just a decade ago. Emerging technologies are helping consumers take control of their lives through highly accurate health data," said Avner Halperin, CEO, EarlySense. "New technology, like that of EarlySense LIVE, empowers consumers with real-time data about their health, making it easier than ever before to communicate and share vital information with health professionals and caregivers. I am looking forward to discussing this topic more at the 21st-annual CONNECTIONS™ Conference."

"As the IoT kicks into high gear, vast networks of connected devices measuring our vital signs will usher in a new era of personalized health care," said Oliver Cockcroft, Product Architect, Ayla Networks. "It's easy to imagine how such an approach could have a profound effect on individual well-being."

"Digital health technologies are changing the game for family caregivers in America," said Bill McIvor, Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer of Seniorlink. "HIPAA-secure care collaboration platforms -- like our product Vela -- are being met with praise from caregivers and case managers to payers and providers. Solutions that engage and empower family caregivers to collaborate in this manner will transform care management as we know it."

360 View Update: On-Demand Care: The Patient Wants to See You Now presents an overview of consumer trends in on-demand virtual care, including visiting physician services and remote care. It examines the types of services consumers are most interested in, the demographics reporting the greatest interest in these services, and self-reported consumer satisfaction rates. The research pays special attention to consumer interaction preferences and usage of digital communication technologies for on-demand care. Additional data from the research shows:

More than 70% of consumers would wait no more than 15 minutes when reaching out to medical professionals for real-time voice or video consultations.

Almost 90% consider a call lasting less than 30 minutes to be reasonable.

70% of consumers using text messaging and secure email would prefer a response within two hours.

Almost 9% of U.S. broadband households are using technology to track their sleep.

12% of U.S. broadband households own a digital pedometer or fitness tracker with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity.

Parks Associates' 21st-annual CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference will take place May 23-25 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in San Francisco. CONNECTIONS™ is the premier connected home event hosting over 700 executives from the connected entertainment, IoT, and smart home industries. The event provides a day of pre-show research workshops highlighting Parks Associates' consumer data and analysis and two days of conference sessions focused on technology adoption and trends, forecasts for new products and services, evaluation of new business strategies, and recommendations about technology innovations, strategic partnerships, monetization opportunities, and value-added services.

The event provides executive networking opportunities and insights from industry leaders on entertainment, mobile, and smart home market segments. Throughout the event, sponsors offer tabletop demos during networking events, spotlighting new technology innovations and services.